This Boston spot serves one of the best burgers in America, according to Time Out

Every burger lover has their favorite, and loyalties are fierce. But some burgers rise above the rest, no argument needed. To bring clarity to the debate, Time Out editors put in the work, covering everything from historic diner patties to luxurious, indulgent options, to rank the best burgers in the U.S. And one Boston-based burger officially made the cut—but it's not where you might think. 

Heavy hitters lead the top tier—including Chicago’s decadent double cheeseburger at Au Cheval, Los Angeles’s rich Big Mec at Petite Trois, Minneapolis’s cheese-stuffed Jucy Lucy at Matt's Bar, Brooklyn’s dry-aged patty at Red Hook Tavern and Memphis’s deep-fried classic at Dyer’s. The broader list celebrates inventive regional creations ranging from a tostada burger in San Antonio to a brisket burger in Austin and a bao burger in Nashville.

Yet one tasty entry that earned praise on this national roster comes from an unlikely venue: a tiny, bustling seafood haven in Boston’s historic North End. Neptune Oyster is legendary for its raw bar and lines wrapping around the block, but its landmark burger has earned a massive fan base of its own.

The Neptune Burger is a masterful blend of surf and turf: Built on a rich prime beef patty, it comes layered with sharp Vermont cheddar, rich garlic mayo and tangy relish, all inside a toasted Iggy's brioche roll. Taking it over the top, however, is a generous topping of freshly fried oysters balanced directly over the cheese.

Because Neptune operates on a strict walk-in policy, eager diners routinely arrive long before the 11am opening to dodge multi-hour waits. Once inside, scoring a seat at the bar allows you to sample both this award-winning burger and their famous Maine lobster roll, making the wait well worth every minute.

Time Out's top 20 best burgers in the U.S.

1. Double Cheeseburger at Au Cheval
2. Big Mec at Petite Trois, Los Angeles
3. Jucy Lucy at Matt's Bar, Minneapolis
4. Red Hook Tavern Burger at Red Hook Tavern, Brooklyn
5. Dyer's Burger at Dyer's Burger, Memphis
6. L&L Burger at LeRoy and Lewis BBQ, Austin
7. Fried Onion Burger at Hamburger America, New York
8. Da Kids Kewpie Burger at Familyfriend, Seattle
9. Neptune Burger at Neptune Oyster, Boston
10. Tostada Burger at Chris Madrid's, San Antonio
11. The Big Deux at Deux Luxe, New York
12. Wolf Burger at Little Bad Wolf, Chicago
13. The Maillards at Maillards Smash Burgers, San Francisco
14. The Cowy Burger at Cowy Burger, Miami
15. OG Tavern Burger at Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery, Raymond, NH
16. Bao Burger at Xiao Bao, Nashville
17. L'Americain at Le Burger 4304, Minneapolis
18. The Classic at NFA Burger, Dunwoody, GA
19. Boo's OG at Boo's Burgers, Houston
20. The Burgerly at The Burgerly, New Hope, PA